MIDDLETOWN — Mosquito control personnel will spray insecticide across portions of the Leonardo neighborhood of Middletown early Wednesday, July 31, following the discovery of West Nile Virus in the area, county officials announced.
Mosquito control staff will spray Leonardo and adjacent streets between 4:30 and 6:30 a.m. Wednesday with an insecticide that targets adult mosquitoes, the Monmouth County Commissioners announced Tuesday.
"The Mosquito Control Division will be spraying Duet Dual-Action, which contains two pesticides called Prallethrin and Sumithrin, and a synergistic compound called piperonyl butoxide which increases the effectiveness of the pesticides," Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone said in a news release. "The Division will be using truck-mounted, ultra-low-volume application equipment that applies the pesticide at a fraction of an ounce per acre."
The areas sprayed will be from:
- East Road to the municipal border with Atlantic Highlands;
- streets north of Normandy Road; and
- Stillwell Road to East End Avenue and Beach Avenue.
The ultra-low-volume insecticide application is a recommended treatment by Rutgers University to control West Nile Virus-carrying mosquito populations, according to the county commissioners.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers this class of insecticide to be less toxic to humans and animals than older, organophosphate-based insecticides used for mosquito control.
While most people who contract West Nile Virus have no serious symptoms, about 20% of infected people will experience fever, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea and rash, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months after an infection, according to the CDC.
About 1 in every 150 people infected develop life-threatening inflammation of the brain or membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, according to the agency. Older adults and people with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cancer, hypertension, kidney disease and people who have had organ transplants are at higher risk of severe illness, according to the CDC.
About 1 in 10 people who develop serious illness will die as a result, according to the agency.
As of July 20, no human or animal cases of West Nile Virus had yet been reported to state health officials, according to the New Jersey Department of Health's Vector-Borne Surveillance Report . However, mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus have been discovered across portions of the state, including within Monmouth, Middlesex and Ocean counties, according to the report.
Last year, 14 human cases of West Nile Virus were reported to New Jersey health authorities.
"We encourage residents to help control the mosquito population by eliminating sources where they can breed, such as standing water," Commissioner Susan M. Kiley, liaison to the Monmouth County Department of Health and Human Services, said in a news release.
Prevent mosquito bites
To avoid being bitten, stay indoors at the times of day when mosquitoes are most active — dawn and dusk.
Monmouth County Mosquito Control advises people who go outside in places that might harbor mosquitoes to wear long sleeve shirts and pants, preferably treated with the insecticide permithrin.
In addition, empty any outdoor containers with water that could provide habitat for breeding mosquitoes.
Also, apply mosquito repellent when outdoors, particularly in July, August and September, when mosquito populations peak in New Jersey.
Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers education and the environment. She has worked for the Press for more than 16 years. Reach her at @OglesbyAPP, aoglesby@gannettnj.com or 732-557-5701.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Middletown neighborhood to be sprayed for mosquitoes after West Nile Virus discovery
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